Charles Grant is the Director and Co-Founder of the Centre for European Reform (CER), a prominent figure in European politics and economics. He has held this position since the establishment of CER in 1996. Prior to his role at CER, Grant worked for The Economist, joining the publication in 1986 to cover the City and later moving to Brussels in 1989 to report on the European Community. During this time, he also wrote a book titled "Delors: Inside the House that Jacques Built," which was translated into multiple languages.

Before his career in journalism, Grant studied modern history at Cambridge University and obtained a diploma in French politics from Grenoble University. He began working for Euromoney, a financial magazine, in 1981 and later transitioned to The Economist in 1986. He gained recognition for his investigative reporting on the County NatWest-Blue Arrow scandal, which resulted in two Department of Trade and Industry inquiries and a lengthy criminal trial.

In 1993, Grant returned to The Economist's London office and became its defence editor. He has authored numerous reports for the Centre for European Reform on topics such as Britain's EU referendum, the future of Europe, the euro, Russia, Chinese relations with the West, and European foreign and defence policy. Additionally, he has held various roles, including director and trustee of the British Council from 2002 to 2008, member of international advisory boards of several think tanks, and member of the Council of the Ditchley Foundation.

Charles Grant has received recognition for his contributions to European and international policy-making. He was awarded the Chevalier of France’s Ordre National du Mérite in 2004, Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2013, Bene Merito medal by the Polish government in 2015, and Star of Italy medal by the Italian government in 2015.